My experience has always been better with a local lender.With that said, I am reaching out to David Greene's The One Brokerage about a refinance.

I would join local business networking groups to get inside deals.

(One virtual and one local).   

About to close on a 10+unit apartment building and my wife and I would like to self-manage as much as possible, as I am local. 

For several reasons (property taxes, politics), I would prefer to begin real estate investing somewhere other than locally. 

I had a unique perspective of how these two industries working together.While performing an inspection on a house, I got to chat with the seller and found he was a commercial construction superintendent for a large local company.

THANKS Your local credit union might be your best bet.

At a minimum where is that local market headed, what is your personal strategy, are you in the growing phase or beyond etcOne really strong argument for selling is that you can upgrade big times.

I’ve had to widen my search radius to smaller suburbs or target properties needing light cosmetic work to make the numbers work.Value-add opportunities: Adding amenities tenants love, like finished basements or upgraded kitchens, seems to justify rent premiums in this market.Navigating the competition:Be creative with financing: Seller financing or partnering with other investors has been helpful to secure deals when conventional offers didn’t cut it.Work with local agents and wholesalers: They often have their finger on the pulse of off-market opportunities, which is critical in a hot market.For those new to suburban Chicago investing, I’d say the key is finding the “sweet spot” neighborhoods—ones on the rise but not yet maxed out in price.

You should see if there are any local real estate meetups going on while you're in town.